Suction cleaner



July. 18, 1933. H, B. wHlT SUCTION CLEANER Filed #July 18. 1931 Patented July 18, 19.33

UNITED ISTATES PATENT oFFlc HARRY B. WHITE, 0F CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE VHOOVER COMPANY, OF NORTH CANTON, OHIO', A. CORPORATION OF OHIO sUcTIoN eLEANER Application led July 18,

justable brush construction in which the brush is adapted to be seated in a plurality of Ways to provide the correct bristle projection beyond the periphery of the agitator.

In the modern suction cleaner agitator, comprising both rigid beating elements and flexible bristle brushes, the brush bristle life is a variable dependent upon the type and quality of the bristle used in the brush and upon the kind of covering upon which the agitator is used. As the rigid beating element and the brush element in the agitator extend tov substantially the same distance from the axis of rotation of the agitator and, as the rigid beater element, being made of hard, smooth metal, is substantially wearproof, it is apparent that, as the brush bristles become worn and their length decreases, in time they will cease to be a factor in the cleaning of the surface covering and that the covering will be contacted only by the rigid beating elements;the brush elements revolving in a circle of lesser diameter and failing entirely to contact the surface covering undergoing cleaning. These brush elements are of relatively small cost and, heretofore, it has been the practice to replace them when worn to such an extent that they no longer perform their intended function. In certain types of agitators, complicated mechanisms have been provided to adjust the effective brush bristle lengths but, because of the relatively small cost of the brushes, this has not been commercially feasible.

In the agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention the brush element itself, and the brush seat in the agitator body proper in which it is received, are so formed and are designed to so cooperate that the effective bristle length, that is the height which the bristles extend above the surface 1931. Serial No. 551,690.

of the rotor, can be changed by a simple adjustment of brush relative to its seat.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved suction cleaner agitator. A further object is to provide a new and improved rotary agitator `for suction cleaners. A still further object is to provide a rotaryy suction cl'eaner.-,` agitator comprising an adjustable brush. nother object is to provide a suction 'cleaner rotary agitator comprising a brush which'is adapted to be positioned in a .plurality of positions relative to the agitator to effect the adjustment of the bristle height above that body. These land other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawing to which they relate. Referring now to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the present invent-.ion is disclosed: A

Fig. 1 is a partial side view of a suction cleaner embodyingv with the casing of the cleaner broken away and showing the agitator in question there- 1n;

Fig. 2 is a partial side view of an agitator constructed in accordance with the present invention with certain parts broken away and with port-ions of the brush seat, with the brush positioned therein, shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showor worn position in ing the brush in its second the agitator body; t v F Fig. 4 is the section upon the line 4 4 of Fig. 5 is a sect-ion upon the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the'drawing the present invention is shown embodied in a suction cleaner which is partially shown in Fig. land which comprises a nozzle 1, a fan chamber 2, to which the nozzle is interiorly connected, there being a rotatable fan 3 in the fan chamber 2 which is mounted upon the extended lower end of the motor shaft 4. The agitator,wh1ch 1s indicated generally by the reference character 6, and which is driven from motor the present invention and the pulley ends respectively.

shaft 4 by means-of a belt 5, comprises a hollow body 7, which is substantially cylindrica l throughout its major portions and which is provided with longitudinally extending reentrant portions or channels 8,8 upon each side of the pulley 9 which is itself positioned substantially at the longitudinal center of. the agitator. The. body 7 of the agitator is rotatably mounted upon a stationary supporting shaft 10 which extends longitudinally therethrough and which carries a sta-- tionary thread guard member 11 at each end which overlies the end of the body 7 and which serves to protect that body from thread, hair, et cetera, collecting' around its end and around the bearing which is positioned between the shaft and the body.

Upon the surface of body 7, formed separately or integrally therewith, are the longitudinally extending beater bars indicated by the reference characters 12.12. These beater bars extend but a relatively small height above the normal surface of body 7 and lie upon that surface in curves which may be helices having common end points.

Referring again to the brush seat 8 it is noted that the opposite ends thereof are provided with openings 13 and 14, at the outer The upper limit of the opening 13 is defined by a transver'sely extending strip or shoulder 15 the vlower edge of which is just the height of the strip 15 below the downwardly facing shoulder 16 which defines the upper limit of the opening 14 at the pulley end of each seat 8. At the outer end of the seat 8 is the second opening which is indicated by the reference character 17 and which-has its upper limit defined by the transversely extending shoulder 18 which is spaced vertically above the lower face of shoulder 15 a distance which is substantially equal to twice the width, that is height, of that member. Within each brush seat 8 is positioned an elongated brush comprising a rigid back 19 in which are seated tufts of bristles indicated generally by the reference character 20 and which are arranged substantially from end to end of the back. Each end of brush back 19 is provided with a reduced portion or shoulder which extends outwardly beyond the bristles. At one end is the reduced end or shoulder 21, shown positioned at the pulley end of the brush seat in Fig. 2. This reduced end or shoulder is positioned higher upon the brush back than the reduced end or shoulder 22 at the opposite end, this difference in height in the present embodiment being substantially equal to the thickness of the transversely extending shoulder 15 as viewed in Fig. 2. in 'the bottom of the brush seat 8 is a bow y spring -23 which is securely held in place relative to the bottom of the seat by suitable securingr means indicated generally by the reference character 24. The spring is so aeiaseo constructed that with the brush within the seat it functions, through contacting the underside of that member, to urge it up- 'wardly and radially outward from its seat in the agitator, body.

Referring now to Fig. 2 in particular the brush shown positioned in its seat in the new brush position. By the new brush position is meant that position of the brush relative to the agitator body in which the brush is seated at its lowest position in the body. This positioning of the brush is permissible for, when new, the brush bristles have their greatest length and it is possible to lower the brush to the'lowest position possible which will still give a bristle projection beyond the agitator body surface which is substantially equal to the 'height of the beater bars 12, 12 above that surface. With the brush so positioned within the seat 8 the high shoulder 21 extends through the opening 14 and underlies the seat shoulder 16. As the shoulder 22 at the oppositeendof the brush back 19 is lower than the upper surface'of-shoulder 21 by the exact width of the shoulder of 15, and as shoulder 22 underlies shoulder 15 it is-apparent that the brush will lie parallel to the axis of the agitator, and one end will not be higher than the other. The spring 23 exerts an equal force upwardly upon the brush back at its two points of contact therewith and maintains the contacting shoulders in their correct relationship, the spring be ingaided in its function, when the agitator is in rotation, by the centrifugal force exerted by the brush itself.

Referring now to Fig. 3 the brush is shown in its worn brush position, or high position. As there shown the high shoulder 21 on the brush back is extended through the opening 17 and underlies the shoulder 18, the high shoulder 21 on the brush back being made of such height that it easily extends through that opening. At the opposite end of the brush, the low shoulder 22 underlies the shoulder 16 on the agitator, the brush being, therefore, in a reverse position from that described in connection with Fig. 2. Itis apparent that inasmuch as shoulder 16 is higher than the lower face of shoulder 15, by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of that member, that the brush is higher in the seat, in its reversed condition, by-substantially that amount. Again the spring 23 urges the brush radially from the agitator and maintains the shoulders in their contacting relationship.

To insert a brush into its seat 8 in an agitator one end of the brush should be extended into the seat and `through opening 14;. 1f the brush is new the end with the shoulder 21 thereon will be extended through the opening a suiicient distance to permit the opposite end of the brush back 1,9 to be lowered into the seat. Transverse grooves 25,25 et cetera extend across the upper face of from the seat.

cent the shoulder 22 a screw driver should be inserted and a force exerted thereon to -move the brush downwardly and transversely until the shoulder is positioned under shoulder 15, at which time the brush will be positioned as shown in Fig. 2. The removal ot' the brush is substantially the reverse operation it being only necessary to exert a force downwardly upon the pulley end of the brush with a screw drivel' to shovev that rend through the opening 14 to again permit the withdrawal of the opposite end of the brush Itthe brush be worn and it is desired to position it as shown in Fig. C- the low shoulder end of the brush back 19, shoulder 22 that is, should be lowered and extended through -opening 14. vrlhe brush should then be moved transversely, by use of thel screw dri-ver in a slot 25, until shoulder 21 extends through opening 17 and lies under the shoulder 1S at which time the brush will be positioned as shown in Fig. 3.

.I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a body having a brush seat, spaced shoulders extended acrossl 2. In a suction cleaner agitator, a body having an elongated brush seat, shoulders extendl'ed across the ends of said brush seat, a pair of said'shoulders being vertically spaced at one end of said seat a brush comprising a back adapted to be positioned in a plurality 'of positions in said seat, a high shoulder at one end of said back, and a low shoulder at the opposite end of said back, said shoulders on said back being adapted to selectively cooperate with saidshoulders in said seat to position said brush, the construction being characterized by the fact that upon the reversal end for end of said brush in said seat said br-ush assumes a dilierent height in the brush seat. A

3. In a suction cleaner agitator, a body having a brush seat positioned below its surface,

said seat having openings at its ends adapted' to receive the ends of a brush back, each of -said openings having its upper limit defined by a single shoulder positioned below the surface of said body a distance unequal to that of any other shoulder, there being more than one shoulder at one end of said seat, a brush comprising a back adapted to be p0- sitioned in said seat and to contact a pair of said shoulders, one at each end of'said seat, charawtcrized by the fact that upon thereversal end for end of said brush in said seat with said back in contact with a new pair o'f shoulders, said brush is positioned at a different height in said seat.

4. In a suction cleaner agitator, a body having an elongated channel forming a brush seat, said channel-formed with an opening at one end and a pair of vertically spaced open- -HARRY B.- WHITE. 

